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The First Day – Part One

A typical first day of skiing consists of mainly two things: Falling over and getting back up again! Simply repeat this until it starts getting dark and then start over again the next day. I remember my first day on the slopes very clearly as it basically went the way I just described. Actually I think I had fallen over even before I made it to the snow.

The day in question came about seven years ago, in the Austrian resort of Schladming. The first thing we had to do was get our skis and boots, so we headed down to the rental shop in the small village that we were staying. Now you’d think getting the boots would be as straighforward as, well, buying a new pair of shoes, well it definitely wasn’t. I must of tried on ten different pairs and each of them just didn’t feel quite right, they say that the boot should fit comfortably but feel secure and you should be able to wiggle your toes around. Eventually I found a pair that felt fine and as I wanted to get onto the slopes I went with them.

Most people would start their first skiing holiday with a professional lesson or two, or even a weeks worth. But as I was with two very accomplished skiers, or so they would like to think, In my aunt and uncle, we went straight out on to a simple green run, or nursery slope as they are sometimes called. This is basically a flat run with lots of soft snow to cushion that inevitable fall.

At the start of the run we got our boots on and prepared to set off, well that was the idea. After all the trouble with my boots at the shop I hoped they would comfortably slip on, but surprisngly they didn’t. Every which way I tried I could not get them on. Everyone else was ready to go and I was stuck there. One foot in the snow and the other resting on a boot. I had almost given up before I had even started. Thankfully I did manage to get the boot on, I honestly have no idea how, and we could set off! Finally.